


Standing Guard

by pagen_godess



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, No Spoilers, of a sort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 12:51:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17467904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pagen_godess/pseuds/pagen_godess
Summary: Once a long time ago before he was the person named Sora he was something else.He wasn’t a being of flesh and blood but instead he was a construct. A living thing built with magic and purpose. The magic of the Master of Masters run through his veins and the need to protect the sleeping children filled the center of his being where his heart would have been had he had one.





	Standing Guard

**Author's Note:**

> this idea popped into my head in November and grew about three times larger than it was supposed to.
> 
> A big thank you goes out to my beta EllieInLove who helped make this story a lot more understandable and helped fix my horrid spelling and grammar mistakes. You rule!!

Once a long time ago before he was the person named Sora he was something else.

 

He wasn’t a being of flesh and blood but instead he was a construct. A living thing built with magic and purpose. The magic of the Master of Masters run through his veins and the need to protect the sleeping children filled the center of his being where his heart would have been had he had one.

 

In truth, he was nothing more than an over glorified Chirithy. Only his purpose wasn’t to guide, but to protect and, should the need ever arise, to guide lost children back to their slumber.

 

He was the guardian of sleepers. A being meant to stand between the dangers that lurked in the dark so that the protectors of light could rest easy. He had no further purpose and he desired nothing else.

 

The Master, wise in his own way, had given him a sad smile when he’d first woken.

 

“Your job is to guard and, if need be, guide; nothing more nothing less. If something threatens the children destroy it. If one of them wakes and wonders away lead them back to sleep.”

 

He had blinked, and a soft damp tongue had run across pale lips before he himself had spoken in return. “I’ll protect them with everything I am.”

 

The Master had smiled a sad smile and run his hands through his hair, the dark hood of his coat pulled back to revel a face that was both aged and ageless.

 

“I know you will, because that's what I made you to do. You’re not a Chirithy. You're much more than a mere companion for the children. You’re a protector. You’re their Guardian.”

 

Long, gloved covered fingers reached out and took him by the shoulder, turning him towards a mirror so that he might gaze upon his own reflection. Eyes just as blue as the Master’s stared back at him, and spiky brown hair topped his head. His face was darkly tanned even though he had only ever seen sunlight cast through windows.

 

He wore armor the gleamed even in the low light, and sitting on the table behind him was a helmet.

 

“I wanted you to see yourself at least once before I place the seal. It only seemed fair.”

 

He blinked and offered the Master a soft smile. “Thank you. You are most kind.”

 

The Master gave a soft laugh and shook his head. “Don’t thank me too much. The face you wear isn’t even your face. I borrowed it from a boy in one of my visions. I wanted the children to be protected by someone friendly, and he seemed like he’d make friends with anyone so long as they gave him the chance.”

 

“Do I have his voice too?” He asked.

 

“Not that I know of. I’ve never actually heard him speak. I just get the feeling that he’d do anything to keep the people important to him safe.”

 

He reached up to rub the back of a gloved hand across his lips. What he looked like didn’t truly matter to him. He didn’t even need a face to do his job, but the Master had been kind enough to give him one.

 

“Thank you then, for giving me a friendly face.”

 

The Master jerked, almost as if he’d been startled by something, before he threw his head back and began to laugh. It was a good kind of laughter.

 

“It’s the least I could do, all things considering. Now let me show you where you’ll be standing guard.” The Master said as he pulled his hood back over his head.

 

Without thinking, the construct turned and picked up the helmet sitting on the table. The metal was light in his hands. His reflection warped across the polished silver. Some small part of him wondered if that would be the last time he’d see his borrowed reflection.

 

He was to stand guard in between the doors that lead into the sleeping chamber. The Master had not permitted him entry into the room itself and he hadn’t asked for permission to enter. He wasn’t supposed to enter the room beyond ever.

 

It wasn’t meant to be a cruelty on the Master’s part, but a kindness. He was such a large construct that the Master feared that the spells that made him and the spells that were woven into the room beyond the door would cancel each other out and then both he and his charges would be lost.

 

The Master wished for him to stand before the doors, and so stand before the doors he did. As days and weeks passed, he stood still as the statue he was thought to be. For weeks and months he stood, as the world around him fell into chaos. Slowly but surely the students that the Master had all but raised turned against each other, and with their turning so did the children under __their__  tutelage, causing fights and creating havoc in the world.

 

There were some, however, that stood firm, that didn’t turn against everything and everyone around them. These few shining bright lights were led past the doors he guarded and into the room beyond. Many of them never returned. Then on the last day when the five chosen by the Master returned and closed the door, he knew that it was only now that his duty was truly beginning.

 

Time passed.

 

Years faded away into seconds, but the passage of time meant little to him, and so he paid it no mind. For as long as nothing approached the door, or exited from within the chamber he had no reason to move.

 

The days and nights blurred together, each one the same as the one before it, until eventually he stopped paying attention completely the world around him. Until, eventually, as with all things, there came a change. There was a day that was ****different****. Something in the air shifted and twitched. A presence grew on the very edge of his senses and, for the first time in what could have been either a million years, or maybe just a few, he twitched. His head tilted upwards and turned.

 

There was a noise coming from inside of the room. A soft shuffle of footsteps that he probably shouldn’t have been able to hear. The noise persisted for a few moments before stopping. With the noise gone he turned his head back into its previous position, looking as if he had never moved at all.

 

There was nothing he could do if the child that had woken didn’t exit the room he guarded. All he could do at that moment was what he’d been doing for the past years. He would stand and wait. If the child wanted to come out of the room, then they would and if they didn’t then they wouldn’t.

 

Minutes passed, much more slowly, it seemed, than they had before. Eventually, however, the soft footfalls in the other room resumed and grew closer to the door. There were a few moments of silence before the door slid open on hinges that didn’t dare to squeak even after years of disuse.

 

He didn’t move as a small boy wandered out of the room and out into the hallway. Bright sunny blonde hair topped a pale skinned head. He knew this boy. This boy was one of the Master’s chosen five. This boy was important.

 

He couldn’t let this boy wonder away.

 

So, he stepped forward and reached out to place a hand on the boy’s shoulder. The child let out a startled scream. He flinched as the boy twisted around, his keyblade flashing into existence in his hand. The magic blade slammed against his armor but did no damage.

 

“Who are you?” The boy asked his voice sliding from frightened to fierce mid-sentence. For one so small he was being very brave.

 

“I’m the Guardian.” He replied unbothered by the attack that had struck his armor. “I guard the sleepers.”

 

“Guard the sleepers?” The boy paused for a second as if thinking something over. His eyes darted between the armored being before him and towards the now empty space between the doors. “Do you mean us?”

 

“You came from within the room. If you come from the room, then you must be one of the sleepers. The Master told me to stand guard over the sleeping children.”

 

The boy tilted his head to the side as if slightly confused. “But we weren’t sleeping. Everyone in the other world is awake.”

He blinked, unsure how to continue this conversation. While it was true that in their own way the sleeping children were living their lives, it was also true that they were sleeping. They didn’t age in the world the Master had built for them. Time for them passed, inside that dream world, but it wasn’t the same as the ageing world around them. Time for the sleepers passed differently, as when one was dreaming, entire months could pass in minutes, or minutes in mere hours.

 

“I guess we’re both right in our own ways.” The boy said as his blade vanished. And yes, the Guardian could agree to that. “My name’s Ventus, but you can call me Ven. What’s your name?”

 

The Guardian blinked, the movement hidden by the helmet covering his head. What ****was****  his name?

 

“I have no name. The Master did not see fit to give me one. He didn’t think I’d have a need for it.”

 

Ven frowned, as if troubled. Was there something wrong with his lack of name? The Guardian had never given it any thought. The Master had always called him by his title, just as the Master himself had also been called by his though he supposed that the Master had a some point had a name like Ven’s and not a title to be called by.

 

“The Master called me The Guardian.” He said, trying to reassure the child in front of him that his lack of name meant nothing to him. He wasn’t a Chirithy or one of the little spirits the Guardian had seen in the Masters books.

 

“Oh, I guess that’s okay then.” Ven said. He still looked troubled. “Am I supposed to call you Guardian then?”

 

“If that is what you wish.”

 

There was silence between the two for a moment as Ven chewed his lower lip in thought and the Guardian waited for the child to say something. It was his job to return any wayward children back to the room behind him but, since Ven wasn’t trying to escape, there wasn’t any harm in letting him take his time.

 

He was ready and willing to answer as many questions as the boy could think to ask him.

 

“I have to go back, don’t I?” Ven asked, as he tilted slightly so he could eye the door he’d come out of.

 

“Yes, the Master said that I was to return any who wandered.”

 

Blue eyes darted around the hallway before fixing on the ground at their feet. “Does it have to be right away?”

 

The Guardian tilted his head slightly in confusion.

 

“Right away?” He asked.

 

“If I wanted to stretch my legs and walk around for an hour or two, would you stop me?”

 

Would he?

 

The Master had never said that he couldn’t let any of the children wander for a bit if they woke. He’d also never said that he should let them. It was his job to keep them safe and if Ven wondered then he’d be out of the Guardian’s reach and out from under his protection.

 

“I shouldn’t let you. I can’t keep you safe if you wander too far away.”

 

“That’s not a no.”

 

“It isn’t.” The Guardian agreed.

 

“What if you come with me?” Ven asked. The was a small amount of pleading in his voice and in his eyes.

 

“If I leave there will be no one to guard the door.”

 

“I didn’t think of that.” Ven admitted as he crossed him arms and ‘ _hmmed _’__  in thought. “What if we make it quick? We’ll go to the edge of the courtyard and then make our way back. It’ll take like ten minutes tops.”

 

The Guardian’s eyes darted back and forth between Ven and the door. The longer he stood in silence, however, the more dejected Ven started to look, and eventually the sad look in the child’s eyes won out over the purpose he Master had given him.

 

“Only to the edge of the courtyard and back.”

 

Ven smiled a bright sunny smile that showed off his teeth.

 

“Let’s go!” Ven cheered as he turned and began walking. The Guardian watched him for a moment before falling into step behind the boy. No words passed between the two as they walked through the empty hallways. Their footsteps echoed and stirred up the dust that hadn’t been disturbed in many years. The soft swirls caught what little light crept in through the windows.

 

It was peaceful, in a sad, abandoned sort of way. The Guardian doubted that the world outside of the tower had been spared the changes that had fallen upon the tower itself. When the doors leading to the outside world came into view the Guardian moved so that he was a few steps ahead of Ven. Reaching out he pushed against the door before him. The hinges squealed loudly as the doors were pushed open.

 

The light that spilled through the open doorway was almost blinding in its brightness. Ven squinted as he stepped outside and made a sad sound in his throat when his eyes adjusted enough for him to see the sorry state of the courtyard before him.

 

The once beautiful stonework had been taken over by weeds that had forced their way up through the cracks between the stones. The paint on the nearby buildings was dull and faded, and the windows filled with grime. Some were even broken. Several of the tree’s had fallen and crushed decorative statues under their weight. The few old, mostly withered trees that remained were almost completely leafless and missing branches.

 

“It’s so different.” Ven whispered under his breath as he took a few more steps towards the overgrown courtyard.

 

“A long time has passed since you all left this world for the one the Master made for you.” The Guardian admitted. “How long it has truly been, however, even I don’t know.”

 

Ven was careful as he made his way down cracked stone steps. His shoes made soft tapping noises against the stone underneath them.

 

“I remember seeing this place for the first time. It seemed so __big__ , and __bright__ , compared to the darkness. When Master Gula found me, I was scared and lost. He pulled me from the shadows and showed me how to use my Keyblade. But it was Master Ava who made me feel welcome. She was always so kind when we spoke. It was obvious that she cared about all of us, no matter what Union we belonged to.”

 

Ven sighed as he leaned down to examine a patch of dandelions and frowned as he ran his fingers over the soft white fuzz that covered them.

 

“When Master Ava asked me to be a Dandelion, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse her, and now here I am, years after all the Unions wiped each other out just because their masters told them to. Now they’re all gone, and our true home is in ruins. We __abandoned__  this world and hid ourselves away in a fake one. What good are we if we can’t even take care of our home!?” Ven’s voice wasn’t quite a scream by the end of his sentence, but it was close. Stray tears dripped from the boy’s eyes and raced down his cheeks.

 

“I shouldn’t have let you do this.” The Guardian admitted, his voice low, as if he was afraid to spook Ven. “Letting you come here was a bad idea. I’m supposed to protect you and now you’re hurting.”

 

Ven sniffed and wiped at the tears making trails down his cheeks. “It’s okay. I think that I needed to see this. I’d forgotten that the world we were in wasn’t really ours, even though it’s identical to the world I knew before. Seeing this helps put things into perspective.”

 

The Guardian nodded. He wasn’t quite sure he understood but he’d take Ven at his word. He himself had no real attachment to the world around them. He had no fond memories of living his life and passing days in Daybreak Town.

 

“Thank you for bringing me.”

 

“You’re welcome. I think however that it may be time to go back.”

 

Ven nodded as he stood, taking a moment to dust the dirt off his pants before turning to face the Guardian. “You’re right. It’s time to go back.”

 

“ _Go back_.” A soft voice whispered on the breeze.

 

Both Ven and the Guardian turned to look for the source of the voice that whispered on the wind. There was however nothing in the courtyard that either of them could see.

 

“ _Don’t go back._ ”

 

“ _Stay with us._ ”

 

“You hear that too, right?” Ven asked as he moved closer to the Guardian. There was a soft flash of light as Ven summoned his Keyblade.

 

“Yes.” The Guardian replied. There was no flash of light as the Guardian called his blade. Only a shift in the magic around then as his Arming sword appeared in his hand.

 

“ _Stay with us._ ”

 

“ _I see light_.”

 

“ _Light_?”

 

“ _Lux_!”

 

“ _Give us lux_!”

 

As the voices became louder and clearer shadows began to crawl along the ruined stone. Small creatures with large heads and sharp claws. They made no sound as they rose, but their bright yellow eyes were fixed on the two of them with an unwavering fixation.

 

“Heartless!” Ven cried in shock. “Why are there heartless here?”

 

“It’s not just them.” The Guardian cried as dark swirls filled the air, surrounding them, which soon enough gave way to Darklings. Dozens of them soon filled the area, meandering in-between the Shadow heartless, nearly indistinguishable from each other.

 

“ _We need Lux_.” One Darkling whispered.

 

“ _Please_.” Whispered another.

 

“Be gone! We have no Lux!” The Guardian called out to the creatures surrounding them. He had no desire to fight the poor lost souls who were, even now, trying to fulfill their masters wishes.

 

“It’s over. There’s no need to gather Lux anymore.” Ven added.

 

The Darkling’s didn’t listen, however. Their cries for Lux grew louder and louder with each passing second. Soon it was a roar of noise, surrounding the two of them in a swirl of yellow eyes and deadly claws.

 

“Stay close to me.” The Guardian ordered as he struck out at a Shadow that dared get to close to him and his charge. Another was quick to take its place, giving them no openings to escape or regroup.

 

“We need to get out of here.” Ven said as he moved his fingers towards the bangle hanging from his wrist. He took a deep breath as he moved to swipe his finger over the first green medal, only for his fingers to hit an empty indent. Blue eyes glanced down in shock. Every slot on the bangle was empty. Not even the medal for his spirit companion remained.

 

“My bangle!” Ven cried out in surprise. “All my medals are missing!” And with the medals gone so were some of his strongest skills.

 

“Stand strong.” The Guardian ordered. “I will not let you fall.”

 

“Right.” Ven nodded and readjusted his grip on his Keyblade. His medals being gone didn’t mean that he was helpless. He could still fight, and he knew some of the weaker magic spells well enough to get by. The fight would be harder with the loss of his medals but not impossible to win if he was careful about his moves.

 

There was a split second between Ven shifting his stance and the Heartless swarming them, on which time seemed to stand still. Then, as quick as the wind he was named after, Ven lashed out with his blade, slaying several Shadows in one strike while the Guardian mowed down an entire row of them with a single slash of his sword.

 

The magic in the air around the construct is so thick Ven could taste it on the tip of his tongue. It made him wonder how much magic the Master of Master’s put into making the Guardian. How many hours? How many lines of runes, and how many different materials were used on it? The thing fighting beside him was like nothing he’d ever seen.

 

Brain’s little spirits were like a drop of water in a raging river compared to the Guardian.

 

“Don’t lose focus.” The Guardian called as he slayed another Shadow.

 

Ven gave his head a sharp shake before turning and rending in two the Darkling that had just tried to steal his heart. They fought for what must have been hours to Ven, but it seemed that for every Heartless they destroyed, two or three more would take their place.

 

“ _LUX! LUX! LUX! LUX_!” the Darklings screamed as they swarmed around them like angry birds. Their claws tore through his clothes with ease and made horrid scraping sounds against the Guardian’s armor.

 

At some point Ven’s stumbled and went down in a tangle of flailing limbs. However, instead of hitting the ground, the Guardian grabbed one of his flailing arms and held him up. Ven offered a tired smile in return for the help.

 

“I don’t think this is ever going to end.” Ven admitted, as he forced himself to cut down another Darkling. “They just keep coming.”

 

“The Darklings dwindle with each one destroyed. It’s the Shadows that keep coming.” The Guardian said as he swiped at another Shadow, his blade missing by an inch.

 

“We can beat them.” Ven panted.

 

As much as the Guardian appreciated the boy’s apparent optimism, he was beginning to doubt that they could. While it was true that the number of Darklings had dwindled greatly, it wasn’t enough to give them any actual advantage in the fight. They were severely outnumbered and, if things kept up like they were currently, then Ven was going to fall and the Guardian didn’t know what he’d do if that happened.

 

The Master had created him to protect the children left behind after the war, and yet here he was, failing to keep the only one who had finally awakened safe. Ven had woken and he’d let the boy wander because the child hadn’t wanted to return to the world where he and his companions were hidden. If something didn’t change soon neither of them were going to survive.

 

Ven would fall and become a Heartless, and the Guardian would cease to exist and leave the rest of the children without a guard.

 

“Is it just me or have their eyes changed color?” Ven asked as he stumbled into place beside the Guardian.

 

The Guardian jerked and turned his attention from their impossible odds and towards the writing mass of Shadows. Ven was right. The countless yellow eyes that had been staring at them before had all turned a much more orange color.

 

“What is this?” In all the Master’s teaching he’d never mentioned this before.

 

In the end, the two of them could only watch as the Heartless gathered together into a great swirling mass. A sea of red eyes gazed at them as the tower of monsters swirled and twisted.

 

“I think we need to run.” Ven whispered, as if he was afraid a raised voice would make the tower notice them.

 

“Go. Run as fast as you can back to the chamber and close the door behind you. The protections there will keep you and the others safe.” The Guardian ordered.

 

“What about you?” Ven asked.

 

“I will stay and make sure none follow.”

 

Ven swallowed and flexed his fingers in agitation. He should abide by the Guardian’s request and go back, but he didn’t want to leave him out here by himself. Construct or not, he had been kind enough to allow Ven a few minutes outside of the dreaming world that the Master had created for the Dandelions.

 

“I can’t just leave you here by yourself!” Ven cried. “You’ll be destroyed.”

 

“If I fall protecting you and the others then I’ll fall with a smile.” The Guardian said as he shifted his stance so the he was in between Ven and the swarm of Shadows.

 

“But… who will protect the door if you fade away?” Ven asked, his voice a soft whisper.

 

The Guardian winced, Ven’s question throwing him off kilter for a split second before he gathered himself again. So long as Ven made it back to the room and closed the door then the children would be safe. The Master’s spells would hold, because if they didn’t, then more than the children locked inside would be in danger. If he fell here, then ****every** world** would be in danger.

 

The Guardian growled at the very thought. He had been made to protect and protect he would.

 

“GO! NOW!” The Guardian screamed as he rushed forward. He could hear Ven’s footsteps going the other direction and he was thankful that the boy was listening to him and not lingering. Perhaps now both of them would have a chance.

 

Ven hated himself for running away like a coward, but he’d had an idea that he thought might just be crazy enough to work. If he could get back to the room that held the dream world fast enough, then he could get the others to come and help. And together the six of them could fight away the swarm of Shadows, and then…

 

Well, Ven didn’t actually know what they would do after the battle but he did know that he wanted to introduce the others to the Guardian. He knew that Ephemer and Skuld would love him, and Brain would be utterly fascinated by the magic that had been used to make him. Even Lauriam was sure to at least be slightly interested in their protector. And now that they knew about him maybe they could find a way to keep him from being alone. Surely the Guardian would like some form of companionship. Brain could probably make him a spirit to help keep him company while he kept them all safe and, maybe if he wasn’t opposed to it, they might be able to visit their kind guardian from time to time.

 

He smiled to himself. It was a good idea. One that he was going to implement even if he had to do it by himself.

 

Ven’s heart pounded in his chest as he ran up the stairs and towards the entrance. The door that they had left open had been knocked closed sometime during their scuffle. The heavy wood had a large gash carved into it, probably from one of the Guardians magical slashes. Reaching out as he got to the door Ven wrapped his hand around the handle and pulled.

 

The door swung open with far more ease than it should have, causing Ven to yelp as he stumbled backwards. Thankfully he didn’t fall. That small miracle was only possible because of the pale hand that had wrapped itself around his wrist.

 

Blue eyes widened in surprise before a relieved grin spread across his face.

 

“Lauriam!” Ven shouted as he took in his friend standing in the doorway. “We have to help him!”

 

Light blue eye’s blinked once in confusion before turning from Ven to the battle behind him. It seemed like his friend hadn’t noticed the fighting even though the noise was more than enough to have reached through the door.

 

Lauriam’s eyes darted between Ven and the fighting Guardian a few times before the other boy smiled. “Of course we should help him.”

 

Ven grinned in triumph before he spun around on his heel and ran back towards the battle. Wayward Wind flashed into his hand as he ran. Lauriam followed closely behind him.

 

The two lunged into the fray. Ven tore through any Shadow that came within his reach. He could only assume that Lauriam was doing the same with Divine Rose. The two twisted and turned dancing around each other with an amazing amount of skill, considering they didn’t often fight together.

 

The Shadows fell easier now that there was another person fighting with him. For a moment Ven allowed himself to think that they could win the fight and save the Guardian. A sharp, sudden pain slashing across his back told him otherwise. It wasn’t the pain of claws raking across skin through spelled fabric, but the agony of a blade.

 

Lauriam has struck him.

 

Ven jerk around, his eyes wide as they fell on his pink haired companion. The other boy was looking at him with hate filled eyes and a sneer.

 

“Lauriam! What…?” Is as far as Ven managed to get before his friend was lunging at him again. Ven stumbled back as their blades clashed together screeching as they dragged against each other before their wielders pulled them apart.

 

Ven darted backwards before Lauriam could strike at him again.

 

“What are you doing?” Ven cried out.

 

“Putting an end to the traitor.” The sentence isn’t shouted nor is it spoken harshly. Lauriam’s voice was eerily calm as he spoke. “I’ve been looking for the traitor since she went missing.”

 

“She? Lauriam, what are you talking about? Who’s missing?” Ventus questioned, as he desperately stumbled backwards from his advancing friend.

 

“My little sister! My precious flower, Sterlitzia.” Lauriam replied.

 

“Little sister?” Ven asks. As far as he knew Lauriam didn’t have a little sister, or at least he hadn’t mentioned one until that exact moment.

 

“Strelitzia was supposed to be a Union leader, but someone struck her down and took her book for their own. I’ve studied all of you for months now, and the only one that doesn’t make any sense is you Ven.”

 

“Me.”

 

“Yes, you.” Lauriam snarled. “You never know what anything is. It’s like you just glanced through the book and tossed it aside.”

 

Ven winced. It wasn’t that he hadn’t read the book. It was simply that a lot of the terminology confused him. He wasn’t like Brain who could read something once and recite it back word for word. He struggled and the idea of asking one of the others to help him, like he was some sort of child. It always made him blush and want to hide his face in shame.

 

“I swear I got my book from Master Ava a few days before the war. I didn’t steal your sister’s book Lauriam.” Ven pleaded with the other wielder, begging with his eyes for the other to believe his words.

 

Lauriam however simply snarled and stalked forward. It was more than clear that he didn’t believe what Ven was saying.

 

“I’ll get the truth, even if I have to beat a confession out of you.” Lauriam hissed as he raised his blade. Ven winced and lifted his blade to block the incoming strike. He didn’t want to fight Lauriam. He never wanted to fight another wielder ever again.

 

The blow to his blade never came, however. Instead something took him by the scruff of his shirt and threw him off to the side. Ven hit the ground with a thump. Wincing Ven peeked his eyes open and immediately wanted to slam his head against the stone underneath him.

 

Several feet away from him stood the Guardian. Tall and proud in battered armor, he cut an imposing figure, even with a foot still suspended in the air. Lauriam lay several feet in the other direction. It was quite obvious that the Guardian had kicked the other wielder away from Ven.

 

“Enough of this foolishness. Stay your blade youngling, and do your friend no harm.” The Guardian ordered. “No wielder shall raise their blade to another while I still stand.”

 

Lauriam laughed as he climbed back to his feet. The sneer that cut across his face was even uglier than before.

 

“You stand there and protect my sister’s killer. If you think you’ll stop me then more the fool to you.” Lauriam rushed forward, Divine Rose materializing once again in his hands as he leapt into the air and brought the blade slicing down. The Guardian didn’t even flinch back as his blade flickered into view and blocked Lauriam’s attack.

 

The difference between the two’s strength was evident immediately. Lauriam grunted as he struggled to push the Guardian back. It was almost like watching someone fight against quicksand. Every step he pushed forward was a struggle for him.

 

It was more than clear that the Guardian wasn’t struggling but it was also just as clear that he had no intention of doing Lauriam any harm. Apparently, his orders to protect counted even towards this battle.

 

“I’ve no desire to harm you youngling. Please stand down and let us talk this through.”

 

Lauriam snarled something under his breath before he pushed the Guardian's blade upwards and lunged underneath it. His blade clashed against the armor and did what even the claws of Darklings and Shadows couldn’t do, piercing it with ease, revealing tan skin underneath, peaking through the gash in the armor.

 

The sight of skin was apparently enough to surprise even Lauriam. The pink haired boy stumbled a step before a feral grin crossed his face.

 

“So you’re human under the armor after all. I was beginning to think you weren’t.”

 

Lauriam lunged again, only for the Guardian to spin out of his way. An armored foot slammed into Lauriam’s back throwing the young man to the ground. Lauriam grumbled as he moved to push himself up only for that same boot to press down on his back pinning him in place.

 

“Let me up!” Lauriam screamed.

 

“Not yet. First you must calm down, and once you’ve regained yourself, I’ll let you go.”

 

Seeing the other boy pinned Ven sighed in relief and stepped closer crouching down so that he could get a better look at the usually prim and proper Union Leader. Now Lauriam’s clothes were rumpled and his hair was tangled and matted with sweat and dirt. He looked like a wild animal.

 

“I’m so sorry about your sister.” Van said as he knelt down beside the other boy.

 

“You’re sorry.” Lauriam hissed. “You think I care about your sorry, when you’re the one who took her from me!”

 

“Lauriam-” Ven began, only for Lauriam to shout in frustration before he could get any further.

 

“I won’t hear it!” Lauriam screamed. “Every word out of your mouth is a lie and I’ll do whatever it takes to prove it!”

 

There was a flicker of something dark passing in front of the others eyes before Ven was violently thrown backwards by an unseen force. He landed in a tangle of limbs a few feet away from his former companion. He lay still for a moment, not injured but in shock because, for half a second it had looked like Lauriam’s eyes had flashed gold. The same shade of gold as the eyes of the Darklings and Shadows.

 

Climbing to his feet Ven turned his attention to where Lauriam had been pinned by the Guardian. Apparently, whatever it was that had knocked Ven off his feet had also struck the Guardian, because the construct was climbing to his feet as well.

 

“Don’t do this. Once you let the darkness in it’s almost impossible to dig your way back out.”

 

Lauriam sneered. “What would you know about it? It’s not like you have a heart. You only care because the Master of Masters told you too.”

 

The Guardian made a soft distressed sounding noise as he stepped forward. “You think I did not watch over you before the War? I watched when I was able as you and your Unions fought against the Heartless. I watched you fight and make friends and rejoice in your triumphs. I watched you cry tears of sorrow when your friends lost their way and fell into shadow. I love all the children in this town and had I been able to I would have stood between you and any danger that might have dared wish you harm, the Masters included.”

 

“But you didn’t! Instead, you just stood in front of that door, while the Masters tore us all apart. You didn’t stop the war and you didn’t protect my sister. What good is a Guardian that can’t do its job?!”

 

The Guardian looked down as if acknowledging the truth in Lauriam’s words.

 

“I despair over the fact that I could not protect you all. The Master of Masters gave me form and purpose and, though I wished to, I could not stray from that purpose. I could not stray until one of you did and that is perhaps the most sorrowful thing of all.”

 

Lauriam clenched his fists and turned his head away as if the Guardians words had insulted him.

 

“Your pretty words mean nothing to me.” Lauriam hissed as wisps of gray began to twist and twine about his body.

 

“ _Lux_.” A thousand soft voices whispered. Dark vapor began to fill the air as the Darklings began to form anew.

 

“Lauriam,” Ven whispered, his voice sticking in his throat. “Please don’t do this.”

 

His words didn’t reach the crazed teen, however. Instead, Lauriam began to laugh, a high pitched sound that would have been described as screaming in any other situation. The fuzzy Darklings still forming around them snapped into place like a missing puzzle piece that had finally be found.

 

Their screams drowned out anything that any of them might have said, and without any sort of signal they swarmed and began attacking both Ven and the Guardian.

 

While the two of them fought off Darklings, Lauriam stood laughing as they swarmed around him. Thick shadows danced and weaved while the world around them was torn asunder. Lauriam, however, paid them no mind. He was content to simply watch as the Darklings tore his onetime friend apart. He didn’t care what happened to the Guardian. Why should he, when the Guardian hadn’t kept his little sister from her own sad fate?

 

He’d let the dark take them both and then he’d be rid of two problems at once. Two birds, one stone. Lauriam smiled as he turned away from the fighting duo. It was time for him to go back inside. He had a story to weave, and he needed all the time he could get to make it a good one. Unbeknown to him, the gold creeping into his eyes would give away any lie that would find its way past his lips.

 

Ven grunted as he slammed a Darkling into the ground, before he spun around and blocked a swipe from another. This fight was going just about as well as the last one, only this time there wasn’t going to be a surprise helper. Or at least Ven hoped that there wasn’t going to be. He did know one thing, however. If by some miracle he made it out of this battle alive he was going to strangle Lauriam with Ephemer’s scarf. He’d explain why to the others after. Somehow, he did not think any of the others would blame him after all was said and done.

 

They’d have to survive the Darklings first, however. Then he could actually get around committing any crimes he’d been accused of.

 

Ven grunted as he lopped the arm off of a Darkling that had been reaching for him. The monster wailed in agony before it dissolved into a wisp of dark smoke. Ven didn’t doubt that it’d be back eventually. Some small part of Ven was beginning to wonder if they were just fighting the same Darklings over and over again because surely there couldn't have been this many Keyblade Wielders who had fallen into darkness.

 

The Masters wouldn’t have allowed this many to fall. Or would they? Ven wasn’t so sure about that anymore. A lot of things he thought were true had been turning out to be false as of late. Loosing wielders had never seemed to bother the Masters as far as Ven had been able to tell. Not that Ven had really interacted with any of the Masters, other than Master Ava on occasion. He really didn’t know what any of them had been like beyond rumors and the few brief glimpses that he himself had seen of them.

 

And if the Masters hadn’t cared, had the Master of Masters? The presence of the Guardian outside the chamber door suggested that he had. The man had cared enough to make sure that they were protected. But this was the same man that had set his students against one another.

 

He’d given the Masters a Book of Prophecy and the Masters had used those books to tear both each other and their Unions apart. The Master of Master had seen them do it and had seemingly just moved on, chosen five new leaders instead of trying to prevent the Keyblade War.

 

Hadn’t the Master of Masters loved his students even a little?

 

Ven shuddered at the dark thoughts filling his head. His thoughts were caught in a vicious cycle and doubt was beginning to creep its way in. Ven shivered as he dodged a Darkling, only to be struck by another. He winced as claws tore gashes into his arm. The wound stung in a way that injuries in the other world didn’t. While they did hurt, in there the pain wasn’t the same. It wasn’t as real as the pain in his arm at that moment was. It was like his senses had been dialed down before and now that he was back in the real world everything felt far more strongly than it had before.

 

Ven felt like he’d been dreaming before and now he had finally woken up.

 

“BE ON GUARD!”

 

Ven jerked and shook himself. He hadn’t realized that he’d stopped moving. He’d even forgotten that the Guardian was there fighting against the Darklings too. Only he’d stopped fighting and the Darkling’s hadn’t done anything more than swarm around him.

 

They were acting like they’d been waiting for something. For what Ven didn’t know. Or he didn’t until he glanced down at his feet and saw the dark tendrils climbing their way up his legs.

 

Ven shouted and tried to jerk himself away from the shadows. He managed a shaky step back before he was stuck again. It felt like his feet were trapped in quicksand. Ven pulled with all his might but the shadows wouldn’t budge. Even striking at them with Wayward Wind didn’t help for more than a few seconds.

 

“I’m stuck!” Ven cried as he turned his attention from the creeping shadows and towards the battered form of the Guardian.

 

The Guardian turned from where he’d been fighting off his own swarm of Darklings to face Ven. Ven winced when he caught sight of the Guardian’s damaged armor. The same armor that earlier that day had been in perfect condition, now looked like it had been through a war. The crack Lauriam had put in the chest plate had deepened and the cloth beneath had been torn by sharp claws.

 

The tanned skin he’d glimpsed before had been torn open. Some small part of Ven was thankful that the Guardian didn’t seem to bleed. Blood was the last thing he wanted to see. It wasn’t just the chest plate of the armor that had been damaged either. There was a crack in the helmet that was wide enough that if he looked just right he could see one bright blue eye staring back at him.

 

“KEEP FIGHTING!” The Guardian shouted as he hacked and slashed his way forward. It seemed that for every step the Guardian tried to take forward more and more Darklings swarmed him. The Guardians sword cut through any that dared linger in his path for more than a few seconds.

 

“ _OURS_!” One screamed. It didn’t take long for the others to take up the cry.

 

“OURS! OURS! OURS!” They screamed.

 

“ _Let him fall_.” One whispered.

 

“ _Join us_.” Demanded another.

 

Ven swallowed his voice stuck in his throat. There were no words he could manage to push past his lips. And even if there were Ven didn’t think they were the words he wished he could say to the Darklings. He wanted more than anything to scream denial at their offer to join them.

 

He wanted to, but he couldn’t. There were no brave words left in him. Now that the rage from Lauriam’s betrayal was gone he just felt empty and sad. Sad that someone he’d considered a friend had thought he could take a life outside of defending himself. Was he such a terrible person?

 

Did the others think he was capable of killing someone in cold blood too?

 

Doubt began to cloud Ven’s head and with that doubt the keyblade in his hand flickered as if the sword itself was unsure of itself.

 

“SNAP OUT OF IT!” Gloved hands grabbed Ven by the shirt collar and shook him, lifting his feet of the ground and out of the darkness swallowing them. Ven blinked and the world around him snapped back into focus. The Guardian was standing right in front of him. They were so close together that Ven could see the shades of blue that made up the Guardian’s one visible eye and the brown eyebrow that rested above it.

 

“Don’t give into the darkness. You’re too young, too bright, to loose hope now.” The Guardian’s words were softly spoken and now that the helmet wasn’t obstructing his voice Ven realized that the Guardian didn’t seem nearly as old as he had before.

 

He sounded like he could be his age, or maybe a few years older like Ephemer and Brain. Ven had been thinking that the Guardian had been given the form of an adult because he was fairly tall, but now that Ven thought about it the Guardian wasn’t that much taller than any of the oldest among the Dandelions.

 

“Ventus!” The Guardian snapped as he gave Ven another shake. The move was harsher this time causing Ven’s head to jerk back and forth. Ven sucked in a breath and when he exhaled, he thought that his thoughts might have been a little bit clearer.

 

“Put me down.” Ven requested.

 

The Guardian hesitated for a moment before he set Ven back on his feet. Once he was sure that the boy wasn’t about to drift off into his own thoughts again, he turned and readied his blade.

 

Ven blinked in surprise as the barrier spell that surrounded the two of them faded. He hadn’t even noticed that the Guardian had cast the spell but now that he was seeing it, he was amazed that he hadn’t sensed the amount of magic being used.

 

The barrier wasn’t a large dome, but he could tell just by the way the light reflected off of it that it was thick. It had to be, to hold back the amount of Darklings that were still surrounding them.

 

“Be ready. The barrier won’t last long, and once it falls they’re going to swarm us again.” The Guardian said, and it was only now that Ven realized that he sounded out of breath.

 

“I’ll be ready.” Ven told both himself and the Guardian. Wayward Wind burst back in Ven’s hand, and as the barrier around them faded away he prepared to strike.

 

The Darklings gave them no chances to defend themselves. The second the barrier fell, they were upon the two of them like locusts swarming a field. Claws tore into anything they could reach, and if it wasn’t claws tearing into either of them they were begin slammed into the ground with incredible strength. Darklings threw themselves at both Ven and the Guardian in desperate attempts to knock either of them off of their feet for more than a few seconds.

 

With each failure at taking them down the swarm became more vicious and their screams increased in volume.

 

Ven was certain that his ears were never going to quit ringing. It was getting to the point that he couldn’t even hear himself think. Every swing of his blade was taking more and more energy. It was a little harder to get up every time he was knocked off his feet.

 

He told himself over and over that they could do this. They could win this fight. Deep down, however, Ven knew the truth. There was no winning this fight. The two of them were going to fight until they couldn’t anymore and, when that finally happened, they’d both fall.

 

Not far from Ven, the Guardian struck down another foe only to be mobbed by four more. The armored man toppled over with the force of their strike and it took a moment for the Guardian to pull himself together enough to climb back to his feet. The Guardian’s blade glowed for a split second with gathering magic before the glow faded away completely. It seemed that even he was out of magic.

 

The Guardian made a soft noise of protest before he tossed his blade aside. The sword hit the stone with a clatter before it vanished.

 

Ven wanted to cry out in protest but found he couldn’t. There was nothing he could think to say.

 

What could he say if the Guardian was giving up?

 

“Why?” The word slipped past Ven’s lips without him even realizing it and was so softly spoken that he was amazed that the Guardian seemed to hear him.

 

Instead of answering his question the Guardian stepped towards him and held out a hand. The invitation for Ven to take it was clear.

 

Ven swallowed and fought his way towards the Guardian. Every step seemed to take an eternity but when he finally made it and took the Guardians offered hand he was pulled into a hug. Damaged armor wrapped around as much of his body as the Guardian could reach.

 

It was only then that Ven could feel the magic building up around the two of them. Every hair on Ven’s body stood on end and every breath felt like he was breathing in humid air. He could taste lightning on the back of his tongue.

 

“I cannot vanish this hoard of creatures, but I will not fail you youngling. If I must use the last of my power to send you away from here, then so be it.”

 

“Send me away?” Ven asked as he tried to pull away enough so he could look at something other than the Guardian’s armored chest.

 

“Little Dandelion, I was charged with protecting you all and I immediately failed to do so, unable to keep safe even the very first child to wander from the Chamber where you all sleep. If you cannot be safe here then perhaps you should not stay.”

“But I can’t…” Ven began only for the words to die in his throat at the feeling of something crawling up his legs. Ven turned his head so that he could look at his feet, only to have one of the Guardians hands take hold of his chin and stop him.

 

“Don’t be afraid. No darkness shall take you while I stand guard.”

 

Ven screamed as black began to wrap around them and pull them down. He didn’t know why the Guardian was suddenly letting the darkness swallow them up. He’d been trying so hard to protect Ven, but now it seemed he was giving up.

 

Ven struggled in the Guardian’s hold but no move he could make was enough to force the Guardian’s arms to release him. The more he struggled the tighter the Guardian held him.

 

It took far less time than Ven liked to admit for him to wear himself out and when he finally did, he could do nothing more than hang in the Guardians arms limply. Eventually exhaustion dragged him down enough that Ven though he’d drifted a bit. It wasn’t sleep because he was still fairly aware, he was simply too tired to do anything.

 

Maybe his exhausted state was why he didn’t notice that the Guardian had shifted his hold and instead of being carried around like a stubborn child he was now being cradled in armored arms.

 

The Guardian was carrying him somewhere. Where exactly Ven didn’t know but the guardian seemed to. Every footstep he took was sure and steady. His armor was a faint soothing glow in the darkness around them.

 

Eventually Ven gathered up the courage to ask a question. “Where are we going?”

 

The Guardian seemed to pause for a moment even though he never actually stopped moving. “Someplace safe. Somewhere where the shadows will not so easily reach you.”

 

“Oh.” Ven worried his lip a moment before turning his attention back upwards. “Where’s that?”

 

“We’ll go to where ever the light takes us and it is there that I’ll leave you.”

 

“Leave me? You’re not going to stay and rest at least?” Ven asked as fear began to crawl its way up his throat.

 

“No, I don’t think I will be youngling.” The Guardians voice was honest as he spoke. “I vowed to keep you safe and in that I failed. I shall deliver you to one who can watch over you and I shall return to my post.”

 

“If you´re going back to the others then let me rest a bit and come with you.” Ven suggested. “I can tell the others the truth and we can fix whatever damage Lauriam caused.”

 

 

“While the offer is very much appreciated youngling, I think it best if you find a new master and relearn the skills that were lost to you while you slept in the other world. And when the time comes, you can find your way back and set things right.”

 

Ven huffed and crossed his arms but couldn’t find it in himself to disagree. It was a good plan. A better plan than his willingness to run right back into the flock of Darklings they’d left behind. If he could find a new master and regain the skills he’d lost then he’d be able to wipe them out completely and there wouldn’t be any way that Lauriam could best him again.

 

“Promise we’ll fix this?” Ven asked as he began to drift again, suddenly sleepy. The air around him was warm and comfortable. Nothing like what he thought falling into darkness would feel like.

 

“If it will set your heart at ease, then yes, Ventus. We’ll meet again and set things right. When and how such a thing will be I myself do not know, but perhaps fate will be kind to us in that regard.”

 

Ven’s eyes slipped shut before the Guardian could finish his promise and he was asleep before he could notice that the light that had seemed to surround the Guardians armor had grown unusually bright.

 

Hidden under the helmet the Guardian smiled as the magic that made him reached out to the light in the deepest part of the darkness.

 

“Please, protect him.” The Guardian asked of it. “Take him somewhere where he can grow and be safe.”

 

Something brushed against his senses. Perhaps it was the magic that lived in all the worlds or perhaps it was the purest light that existed in the center of all things. But whatever this force was it reached out to him and to the child sleeping a spelled sleep in his arms. Ventus disappeared in a soft glimmer of light and with the child gone from his arms the Guardian fell to his knees in the darkness.

 

The Guardian’s armor started to slowly fade away as the spells that had given it form snapped to pieces and vanished. It didn’t take long for it to disintegrate completely. Soon he was left in only the soft fabrics that made up the clothes underneath, that had kept his armor from harming skin.

 

The Guardian smiled to himself as he looked at the tan skin of his hands. He’d never seen his hands outside of the armor before. They weren’t quite what he thought they should be. There should be calluses and scars instead of smooth unblemished skin. He should have a warrior’s hands, not the soft, gentle hands of someone who’d never fought a battle. These were not the hands of someone who protected what mattered to them. Not that it made much of a difference now, for even his hands were beginning to fade. Soon there would be nothing left of the magic that had made him.

 

He’d burned it all away to carry Ventus safely through the darkness. He given everything he had to keep the one child that had wandered safe. He only prayed that in the end it would be enough. Perhaps saving this one life would be enough to make up for his failure to protect all the others.

 

The Guardian didn’t know, and now he never would.

 

“I failed you Master. Please forgive me.” The Guardians words were softly spoken in the dark.

 

“You did wonderfully!” A loud cheery voice said. It was accompanied by rapid clapping. The Guardian jerked to his feet and spun to face the source of the noise.

 

He was fairly certain that his mouth dropped open in shock, for standing a few feet away from him was the Master of Masters himself.

 

“You couldn’t have done any better had I stood by your side told you step by step what to do.” The Masters voice was joyous.

 

“But I failed.” The Guardian said confused. “I left the children unprotected. I let a traitor return to them and there’s nothing there to guard the door!”

 

The Master shrugged his shoulder in a ‘what can you do’ motion before he stepped close enough to the Guardian that he could place his hands on his shoulders.

 

“All part of the bigger picture. Sometimes in order to forge a better path you must walk the painful road to get there. You did your part and you’ve earned you reward.”

 

“My reward?”

 

“Yes, your reward.” The Master said. There was a genuine smile in his voice. His words were soft and proud in a way that the Guardian had only ever herd when the Master had told him how proud he was of his students.

 

“You walked through the darkness to keep the one sheep that strayed safe and burned yourself up to keep him from harm. Now, think of the promise you made to young Ventus, and reach for home.” The Master moved his hand and placed it over where the Guardians heart would have been had he had one. Then he leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching.

 

“You’re going to do great things. You’re going to help so many people and touch so many hearts. It won’t be easy. You’ll loose your way, and sometimes you’ll even lose yourself, but in the end you’ll always find your way back home.”

 

“Master, what…?” The Guardian began to ask as an unnatural warmth began to fill him. This wasn’t the same as the magic that had made up his being. This was different. Warn in a way that felt more real than anything ever had before.

 

For a split second, there was light like that of the sun rising in the sky in the morning. It was the brightest thing he’d ever seen.

 

A softly whispered “Good Luck” echoed in the Guardians ears, before everything went white and then he knew no more.

 

_**Epilogue** _

 

There was nothing but darkness around him as he drifted. But he wasn’t worried because he knew where he was going and he knew how to get there. Hearts, even those new to the world, always knew how to get to the body they belonged to.

 

There was something in the distance, however that caught his attention before he could reach his destination. For a second he thought about ignoring it and going on his way, but there was something about the light that felt familiar.

 

Something that felt like a promise made to a friend.

 

So he shifted his path and let the light draw him towards a new destination instead.

 

“Who are you?” A soft voice asked.

 

“ _I’m a brand-new heart._ ” He replied.

 

“But this is…” The older heart replied. He sounded lost and confused. There was so much pain in such a light being. “Why are you in my heart?”

 

“ _The light brought me. I saw it shining in the distance and followed it here._ ”

 

“That was my light, but my heart is fractured and what little is left of it if fading away.”

 

The young heart paused for a moment as if examining the damage done to the other. He was damaged quite badly and fading away, but it wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t be helped. That was the good thing about being such a new heart. He could do things that older hearts couldn’t do.

 

And he knew with absolute certainty that he could do this.

 

“ _Then you should join your heart with mine. You can rest here and in time you can win back the part that was taken from you _.__ ”

 

The damaged heart of a boy that was so very familiar to him smiled and slid into a deep healing sleep.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm actually thinking about maybe turning this into a small series. We'll have to see if Kingdom Hearts 3 kills me or not first though.
> 
> I started this when we all thought Lauriam had killed his sister. The fact that he apparently didn't actually changed very little in this. Also go back to the parts where the Darklings speak and instead of whatever you imagined them sounding like imagine them sounding like the seagulls from Finding Nemo.


End file.
